July 27, 2012

Preseason All Big Ten Football Team 2012

Ok, I just can't wait anymore. Between Big Ten Media Day and rewatching UM-OSU and UM-ND, I am ready to start talking Michigan football. We got a little more than a month left until the start of the 2012 College Footbaw season, and I got some things to write about, including the list of the top 5 most important games for Michigan this year. But I figured I'd get started by putting together my Preseason All Big Ten list. This list means absolutely nothing, and is subject to change after I get yelled at by my friends. That means you. Feel free to comment with objections and comments. Here we go.First Team Offense

DE - Cameron Meredith - NebraskaDE - Michael Buchanan - IllinoisDT - Jordan Hill - PSUDT - Akeem Spence - IllinoisOLB - Denicos Allen - MSUOLB - Christian Kirksey - IowaILB - Jonathan Brown - IllinoisCB - Terry Hawthorne - IllinoisCB - Micah Hyde - IowaS - Daimon Stafford - NebraskaS - Isaiah Lewis - MSUComments:- I can hear it already. "You Michigan homer. Toussaint over Burkhead, Bell, and Redd?" The fact remains that after a few weeks of competition at the RB spot for Michigan, Fitz took over and dominated. 818 yards in Big Ten play. YPC of 5.9. The only RB I considered putting ahead of Toussaint was Bell, who also dominated after stealing the job from Edwin Baker. - I could easily say I left Silas Redd off this list because of the whole USC potential transfer thing. But I didn't. I left him off because I view him the 5th best RB in the league, and there are only 4 slots. This league is running back loaded. There is some serious talent in the second tier as well. Ralph Bolden of Purdue was an effective runner before two ACL surgeries, and the man that filled his spot, Akeem Shavers, isn't half bad either. James White of Wisconsin is the best backup in the league and would start on most teams in the NCAA. Keep an eye out for Indiana(??) running back Stephen Houston as well. - Wide Receiver is an unproven position this year, which is a contrast to last year's loaded senior class of pass catchers. With the graduation of Cunningham and Martin (MSU), Jenkins (Illinois), Hemingway (Michigan), McNutt (Iowa), Toon (Wisconsin), and a slew of unproven quarterbacks, this might be a return of 3 yards and a cloud of rubber pellets in the B1G. - It has been a lot of fun to watch Jordan Kovacs turn from a feel-good story of walk-on starter to legit all-conference safety in the Big Ten. A monster in the run game, Kovacs uses positioning and coverage reads to combate his lack of top-end speed. He had to walk-on twice to the Michigan football team, but in the end it was worth it, especially if he gets his name called in the late rounds on the 2013 NFL Draft. - Is this Terry Hawthorne's 7th year at Illinois? Geez.- Isaiah Lewis for MSU is one to watch because he is very similar to Trenton Robinson, 6th round draft pick from MSU a year ago. Great at stepping up to stop the run, he too often gets lost in coverage. Luckily for him, that's a coachable flaw, and if he can become smarter and more decisive, he can improve his draft stock as well. -Others to watch (not mentioned above): ILB Max Bullough (MSU); ILB Kenny Demens (Michigan); ILB Michael Mauti (PSU); ILB James Morris (Iowa); TE C.J. Fiedorowicz (Iowa); TE Dion Sims (MSU); DT Anthony Rashad-White (MSU); CB Blake Countess (Michigan); QB Braxton Miller (OSU); QB Nathan Scheelhause (Illinois); WR Jeremy Gallon (Michigan); OC Graham Pocic (Illinois); CB Troy Stoudemire (Minnesota)